Arrest of Christians in London (1)

David Kurten: Why was Christian street preacher Oluwole Ilesanmi arrested outside Southgate tube station on 23rd February?

The Mayor: The Met have stated that the officers were responding to a call from a member of the public who was concerned both about the specific language being used by the preacher, and the preacher’s own safety. The police will always investigate any allegation about language or behaviour that could amount to a crime. In this case the officers took a decision to detain the preacher in order to prevent a breach of the peace. He was taken away from the area and subsequently de-arrested.
The Met have confirmed that the de-arrest took place some distance away from the original incident, around three and a half miles. They have also confirmed that any information provided by them that suggested he was released much closer to the area, was given in error and has been corrected. Given that there is an ongoing professional standards review of the police response it would not be right to speculate about the decisions taken.

Arrest of Christians in London (2)

David Kurten: Why was Christian street preacher Oluwole Ilesanmi driven 5.2 miles from Southgate station by the police and dumped in a remote area, even though the police established he had committed no crime?

The Mayor: The decision to arrest, and subsequently to de-arrest is a decision that would be taken by the police based on their interpretation of the circumstances at the time. This will include an assessment about the likelihood of any continuing risk of a further breach of the peace. The Met have confirmed that the de-arrest took place some distance away from the original incident, around three and a half miles. They have also confirmed that any information provided by them that suggested he was released much closer to the area, was given in error and has been corrected.
Whilst it is not appropriate to comment on individual cases, I am aware that the actions of the officers are being assessed by the professional standards department. In this case there is body worn footage available and it will form part of the police’s assessment of this incident, which I know is ongoing.

Hate Speech

Peter Whittle: How many stand-up comedians have been investigated by the Metropolitan Police for hate speech over the last three years?

The Mayor: The police do not record data on personal occupation in this way, so it is not possible to provide an accurate answer to this question.

Arrest of Christians in London (3)

David Kurten: Why did the police originally say the Christian street preacher Oluwole Ilesanmi was walked 200 metres and then released, but later changed their statement to say he was driven 3.5 miles from Southgate station before being released?

The Mayor: I refer you to my response to Mayor's Question 2019_6196 and Mayor's Question2019_6197 which answer this question also.

Resources for the Roads and Transport Policing Command (3)

Sian Berry: Since you provided an extra £118.6 million to support police officer numbers in your 2019-20 GLA budget, are you planning to restore or increase the capacity and resources of the Road and Transport Policing Command (RTPC) and, if so, when?

The Mayor: I am absolutely clear that keeping Londoners safe is my top priority. The increase in violence and knife crime in London has meant that the MPS in consultation with MOPAC, Transport for London (TfL) and other senior stakeholders has shifted resources towards protecting the most vulnerable and in particular those affected by knife crime. This will also have the effect of keeping London’s transport network safe.
The MPS will continue to direct additional funding and effort towards bearing down on violence for the foreseeable future. As with all police resourcing decisions this will be kept under constant review by the Commissioner.
This is only possible because I have made additional funding available. In last year’s budget, I committed to providing an ongoing £59.3m per year for an extra 1,000 police officers than would otherwise be affordable, allocated from growth in business rates income. Due to technical changes proposed by the Government, it is possible there will be a two-year time lag in receiving this. Therefore, I have allocated £118.6m of the business rates surplus to a specific earmarked reserve to cover that period.
While it is regrettable that the MPS is not able to increase funding in the Road and Transport Policing Command (RTPC), the fact that this government continues to reduce police funding means that the MPS continues to be forced to make difficult decisions around operational priorities.

Police officer numbers

Steve O'Connell: What is the current level of police officers? If the Met were to get the funding they want out of the Spending Review, how many officers and staff would the Service have?

The Mayor: At the end of February 2019, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) had 29,869 officers. Over 300 new recruits will begin their training in March and the MPS aims to grow officer numbers to 31,000 by December 2019.
The Government have yet to announce the details of their Spending Review and both the MPS and MOPAC are in the process of developing their bids. The Commissioner has said on numerous occasions that it is not possible to say precisely how much resource is needed, given the complexity of policing London.
The Commissioner has been clear that with additional resources, the MPS could be even more effective in bearing down on violence, tackling the growth in reporting of sexual offences and on-line child exploitation, disrupting serious and organised criminality and tackling those things that matter to local people.